The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68580

Sarah E Stone, MPH, Amy M. Carroll, MPH, and Sarah E. Samuels, DrPH. Samuels & Associates, 1204 Preservation Park Way, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-271-6799, stone@samuelsandassociates.com

BACKGROUND: The use of mapping to describe geographic differences in disease incidence and mortality is a growing practice in the field of public health. By comparing neighborhoods with demographic differences, particularly socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity, mapping can also be used as a way to help identify root causes of health disparities. In the field of diabetes research, mapping is especially useful in identifying attributes in the built environment that contribute to increasing rates of type 2 diabetes and related complications. PROGRAM: The California Endowment funded eight projects in eleven communities throughout California under their Diabetes Prevention, Management and Treatment Initiative to support innovative solutions addressing disparities in diabetes-related care in underserved and ethnic-specific populations. METHODS: The on-going, multi-method evaluation of this initiative includes environmental scans of six of these communities to identify environmental factors that inhibit or promote the adoption of healthy behaviors related to diabetes prevention, management, and treatment. These factors were geocoded and mapped utilizing ESRI’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software ArcView®. These maps provided visual depictions of physical community characteristics related to diabetes care, such as nutrition and physical activity resources, medical and social services, and access to grocery stores and farmer’s markets, or lack thereof. FINDINGS: This presentation will demonstrate methods of utilizing geographic information to describe the built environment's contribution to morbidity, mortality, and resource availability in California’s underserved communities. Particular attention will be paid to the successes and challenges of using US Census and other publicly available data to create county and neighborhood-level maps.

Learning Objectives:

• 3. Describe three ways in which mapping can be used to formulate evaluation methodology and in program adjustment.
  7. Identify key areas in which GIS is useful for describing environmental influences in diabetes morbidity and mortality.
  11. Articulate methods for incorporating US Census and other publicly available data into population-specific and diabetes-specific research.

Keywords: Diabetes, Geographic Information Systems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: ESRI's Geograhpic Information Systems (GIS) software "ArcView 8.2"
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.